Photographs of the Outside of building
Inside Pages:
ALL Inside Photographs
or straight to:
Committee Room
Gym Waiting Room
Large Pool
Mural - 'The Folly'
Mural - 'Mother and Child'
Original Main Entrance
Reception
Small (teaching) Pool
Windows
There are many things of note to write about this building’s history, but this is a site for photographs not researched
information, so we will concentrate on our photographs. These photographs of the inside were taken 16th June
2017 when volunteers gave guided tours 'behind the scenes' as part of the National Civic Open Day. They took us to areas that the
public don’t normally have access to so we could see some of its unique treasures. One thing that
kept being emphasised was that
everything in the building was made by the workers of the Great Western Railway
– tiles, stained glass windows, windows and frames, doors, flooring … the list is endless. The Works did themselves
proud.
We only had a short time to take photographs as they were taken during a tour. We think we have correctly ordered
them starting at the current reception area and going along the ground floor, followed by the upper floor(s).
But we went up and down lots of staircases and along winding corridors so we’re not entirely sure we have assigned each
photograph to the correct order or floor. We hope that you enjoy this little glimpse into this gem of a
building.
When you learn the history of this building you realise just how unique and impressive it is. It was built in 1891
by the Great Western Railway Medical Fund in an era when there was no public health care so visiting a doctor and being treated
was too expensive for most people. The choice was either pay to see a doctor (
if you could afford to) or put up with what
was wrong. But Swindon's Great Western Railway workers and their families had their own health scheme and could
use this state of the art facility – more than 50 years before the National Health Service was established.
Apart from the doctors' surgery and dispensary, there are two swimming pools, Turkish and steam baths, gym, health clinic
and, according to Mark Child's 'The Swindon Book', it has also offered dental surgery, psychological clinic, ophthalmic
practice, a chiropodist, physiotherapy, paediatric clinic, skin clinic, massage and even at one time hairdressing.
During the war, boards were put over the swimming baths and it was used as a hospital - there are some photographs of
this on
Flickr.
It was also used for concerts, sales, meetings and even roller skating.
